Political crisis forces local Peace Corp volunteer to return early

April 05, 2009|By SARAH RICE WSBT-TV Reporter

MISHAWAKA -- Massive protests thousands of miles away has forced a local Peace Corp Volunteer to return home early. Sasha Elliott of Mishawaka worked in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa, for over a year. She says coming home is bittersweet. As the saying goes, home is where the heart is. "I didn't really believe that I was home," said Peace Corp Volunteer, Sasha Elliott. But for Sasha Elliott, this isn't the only place she calls home. For the past 13 months, she's worked as a Peace Corp Volunteer in Madagascar, an island off the coast of southeastern Africa. It's one of the world's poorest countries. "But, there was no electricity or running water. So, I used candles at night. And I fetched water from a pump not too far away," said Elliott. Sasha was part of Small Enterprise Development, a group that helped people with business and finance. "One of my main projects was teaching household budgeting to people in my community because they only earn a dollar or two a day," said Elliott. But in January, the island known for it's natural beauty changed. A political crisis erupted between Madagascar's former President and his rival, causing massive protests and violence. "And they consolidated all the Peace Corp Volunteers. So, there was about 115 in Madagascar. And they took us all to one site in case they were to evacuate us," said Elliott. After three weeks, the volunteers went back to their sites. But the violence continued to escalate, forcing the Peace Corp to evacuate everyone for good. "It's really hard to deal with because their lives are so hard to begin with and it's going to be even harder now. So, it was really hard to leave them," said Elliott. But Sasha's mother sees it a bit differently. "I am just so proud, so proud of the experience and the people she came across and the impact she has made in her commune, and everybody she has come across in Madagascar," said Sooka Elliott-Mackey. Sasha says given the chance, she would return to Madgascar, a place where she worked to bring change. But, she says it's also a place that forever changed her. "I mean there were days in Madagascar that were so hard and I thought about home all the time. But, when it comes down to it, they need me more than anyone here does. I think that it's a good opportunity to provide them with opportunities that they might never have," said Elliott. If Sasha doesn't return to Madagascar, she plans to go to graduate school.